Review of Superman II (1980) by Gavin C — 14 Jun 2013

I may not have been a fan of the comics, but I loved the original Superman film. Aside from it's corny moments, it was a compelling start to the superhero genre in Hollywood history. So, when it became a box office success, a sequel was made and was met with a positive reception. I saw it with my brother on a DVD copy and while it's not as fresh as the original Superman, it's a pretty good sequel. It may be a little bit long and it's tone shifting is very uneven, but those flaws are outweighed by it's best aspects.

The story is fine and I liked how it shows the emotion of Clark Kent when he chooses not to be Superman anymore. The dialog is pretty good and it's well-paced. The music from John Williams (accompanied by Ken Thorne) is superb, the scenery is magnificent, and the direction from Richard Lester is above-decent as are the special effects, but the best part would have to go to the cast. Christopher Reeves did a great job once again as Superman, Terence Stamp did great as the sinister villain General Zod and Gene Hackman is rock solid as Lex Luthor.

Overall, Superman II isn't as fresh as the original, but like I said before, it's a pretty good sequel to the classic and is worth-recommending.